from Rick

Hi.

I'm Rick Best, Brooks' "little" brother. Her son, Kris, is busy getting her blog rebuilt and before long we'll have her thoughts back where we can enjoy them again and take comfort from them and enjoy our memories of her.

In the meantime, we are going to continue what Kris started; if Brooks is no longer here to share herself with us, then we will simply share our memories of her with each other. This first entry of mine will be about the ceremony where we said our final goodbyes. For those of you who could be there this entry will hopefully be a nice rememberance, and for those who couldn't be there, well, now you can be.

This is a picture of most of those who were able to attend. Everyone in this picture is part of Brooks' family, and we all felt that then and feel it now. What greater gift could my sister have given me than all these new sisters and brothers and aunts and uncles and cousins and... Well, you get the idea, I guess.

This is the setting for Brooks' remembrance. As you can see, Kris and Lauren, Reese and Bobbi did a wonderful job arranging things. Of course, they had a lot of help... from Brooks! Yes, she had done a tremendous amount of planning and getting things ready beforehand. The poster behind the urn is the same as the picture at the top of this entry, it's a montage of some really wonderful pictures of Brooks. She made the montage herself and then sent it out to have the poster printed.

There were some beautiful flower arrangements which were just enough to make a nice setting, but nothing overly gaudy. Brooks would not have stood for that! Possibly because she preferred being the gaudy one at any party.



Brooks chose and ordered her own urn and made a wonderful choice. Surprisingly, not so gaudy at all! Of course, there are her mardi gras masks to add that particular fashionable touch.

I'll close this entry for now. Next time I'll add some pictures of Brooks that were spread around the table for all to see, from when she was a little girl, a young woman, and in her later years when most of you knew her best.

Other people have expressed an interest in adding their own thoughts and memories of Brooks here, and you are welcome to do that. because of the recent bit of nastiness, though, Kris is being careful of access, so anything you'd care to share can be sent to him and he will be glad to post it for you.

Here is what I wrote the night I heard my sister had died...

MY BIG SISTER

Damn it, sister!

Where'd you go?

I just found some neat stuff I wanted to share with you.

Now I'll have to save it until I see you again.

Did you have to leave so quickly, though?

No time for one last hug, one last laugh?

I turned away for just a moment.

In that short space between an exhale and an inhale you slipped away.

I know you've been talking to daddy.

I heard you laugh.

Was he telling you secrets it's not my time to hear?

Was he telling you how much you're loved?

Did he reach out and take your hand?

Did he help you across that last, fearful step?

Did he sweep you into his arms and sit you on his lap?

Is that whyyou laughed like the little girl you were all those years ago?

Tell daddy that I'm still saving things I want to share with him, too.

This is what my son Austin had to say to his Aunt Brooks:


Now I'll just add the eulogy I read for my sister.